Coin control



Sep Z 1941- J. w. sRoDULs'Kl 4 2,254,327

COIN CONTROL Filed March 25, 1938 3 Sheets-sheet 1 HHN ' IWIIII INVENTOR.

' fg 1 BY HIS ATTORNEY.

Sept 2 1941- J. w. sRoDuLsKl 2,254,327

com CONTROL Filed March 25, 1938 3 Sheena-.Sheet 2 59 .l CRNV.

1575 ATT Sept. 2, 1941- J. w. sRoDULsKl COIN CONTROL Filed March 25, 193(4 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 ETED ST TES T OFFICE el" E 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coin-operated devices and has as one of its principal objects the provision of a coin control unit for'use with vending and other coin-operated machines.

'Another object is the provision of a compact control unit including a coin testing mechanism, a manually operable control, a driving element for operating dispensing or other desired mecha'- nism, and means for receiving a coin from the testing device and utilizing the coin to couple the'l operating control With the driving element.

YAnother object is the provision of acornpact control mechanism ofthe type characterized and in which the manual control means, the driving element and the coin coupling means are arranged as a compact unit with the driving element being of such kcharacter and so arranged that when the control unit is mounted in place,

the 'driving element will be automatically coupled tary arrangement on the mounting member withl the driving element in the form of a gear or like rotatable member having a portion exposed on the mountingY member for coupling in driving` engagement With driven dispensing mechanism,V

together With a coin testing device for delivering proper coins or special tokens to the coupling mechanism, and a counting device operable automatically to prevent 'deposit of further coins in the testing device when the control has been operated a predetermined number of times.

. Yetganother object is the provision of control means in the form of a rotatable driving element andan oscillable manual control, both mounted on the same shaft, the manual control being operable to turn the shaft, and the driving element floating on the shaft, together with means rotatable with' the driving element and having coin receiving slots, and into which coins are deposited from a testing device, and a coin engaging.,member rotatable With the shaft when themanual control is operated to engage a coin deposited in the coin receiving slot and thus" couple the. manually actuated shaft with the' driving element for actuation of driven means, such as a dispensing device. Y

- Still other objects of the invention reside in particular details of the control mechanism heretofore characterized, including overload clutch means interposed between the manual control and the coin-keyed or operated coupling means; in the compact and ecient mechanism cooperable with the manual control for actuating a coin testing device and scavenging means there'- for; in certain details of the driving element and coin coupling mechanism cooperable therewith; in certain details of the automatic counting and cut-olf or coin blocking mechanism heretofore mentioned, as well as in the general assembly, combination, arrangement and operation of parts hereinafter to be described in View of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective of the control unit;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the cam operating means for the coin testing device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical side section through the middle of the unit;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through the operating mechanism, looking down on the overload clutch along lines 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the operatingmechanism, looking down upon' the coin keying or coupling means along lines 5 5 -of Fig. 3, the view being rotated 90 clockwise from that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section, looking down upon the driving element or gear in coupled relation with a driven member, as seen along lines 6-6 of Fig. 3, the View being rotated clockwise from that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 'is an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the dog mechanism for the counting device.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective View of the several elements found in assembled relation below line 5-5 in Fig. 3, the dot-dash lines indieating the direction of placement of the several elements; v

Fig. 9 is a perspective View illustrative of the relationship of a deposited coin on the coupling plate before the latter is moved.'

Fig. 9A is a perspective View illustrative of the relationship between a deposited coin and the ledge yoke after coin coupling Yplate is moved into coin engaging position; and

-Fig.`-9B is a perspective view illustrating Vthe wayv in VV'which the coin coupling plate moves a" coin along-'the ledge yoke.

The present invention pertains broadly to the type of control mechanism described and claimed in my copending United States applications, Serial No. 164,660, which has matured into Patent No. 2,193,210, issued March 12, 1940, and Serial No. 164,661, to which further reference will be made hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved control device includes a mounting member I5 in the form of a cast plate provided in its upper region (Fig. 3) with a mounting boss I6 to which is attached the upper portion of a coin testing device I1 in the nature of a rectangular cartridge having a coin receiving entrance I6 in its upper region and gauged by selective testing means therein which is effective to direct the coin out the lower region thereof and into a coin guide slot I9 (Fig. 1) or a discharge slot 20, both formed in adjoining position in a horizontally extensive bracket 2| on the inner side of the plate, the lower portion of the coin testing device I1 being supported on this bracket. The coin testing device I1 is preferably, but not necessarily, of the type set forth in United States Patent 2,073,392, but may be any testing means adapted to re ceive a coin and discharge the same into the guide slot I9, with or without the necessity of any means for actuating testing mechanism.

Arranged on the mounting plate below the coin testing device is a manual control unit including an oscillable operating handle 22 arranged to be keyed or coupled to a driving member, such as the gear seen in Fig. 6, when a proper coin is delivered from the testing device into the slot I9.

The operating member or handle 22 is attached at its inner end 23 to a drum or cylinder 24 provided interiorly with an open web 25 (Fig. 3) having an integral sleeve or hub portion 26 floating on a shaft 21 such that oscillation of the handle 22 will eiect corresponding movement of the drum 24 on the shaft 21.

The interior web formation 25 in the drum 24 is better seen in Fig. 4, and pivotally mounted thereon as at 28 is an arcuate clutch arm 29 provided with a cam lug 30 between its ends, the free end portion of the arm being bent down to provide a depending lug 3l (Fig. 3) projecting downwardly throughV an opening 32 in the web 25 (Fig. 4) for engagement with one end of a spring 33 anchored at its opposite end on pin means 34 on the under side 0f the web 25 diametrically opposite the pivot 28 in such manner that the clutch arm 29 is normally urged in a anti-clockwise direction (Fig. 4) with its cam l2ug 30 urged in a radial sense toward the shaft Mounted for rotation with the shaft 21 on the upper side of the web 25 is a second or cooperating clutch member 35 substantially in the form of a sector having a cam slot 36 in which the cam lug 30 on the cooperating clutch member 29 is normally disposed by action of the spring 33. Thus, it will appear that when the operating control or handle 22 is turned in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4), the drum 24 will be turned similarly, causing the lug portion 30 on the pivoted clutch arm to turn the clutch sector 35 inthe same direction.` The cam lug 30 and cam slot 36 have complementary cam edge portions as at 31, and should more than a predef` stored to operative position in the slot 3G upon return of the handle.

It may be observed at this juncture also that there is a stopping bracket 38 (Figs. 1 and 4) secured to the drum beneath the handle 22 and having depending stopping lugs 39 at its opposite extremities and engageable respectively with resilient stops 49 seated in bosses 4I on the mounting member. Also, embracing the hub portion 26 within the drum below the web 25 is a return spring 42 (Fig. 3) anchored at one end 43 on an edge of the web 25, and at its opposite end 43' on a stationary mounting member, the effort of the spring being to return the handle in an anticlockwise direction to the position seen in Fig. 1 or 4.

Floating on the shaft 21 (Figs. 1 and 6) is a driven operating element in the form of a gear 44 having a portion of its periphery exposed through an opening 45 in the mounting plate I5 for driving engagement or coupling with a dispensing member, such as the gear 46.

As seen in Fig. 6 particularly, the driving member 44 includes three radially extensive and circumferentially spaced web portions 41 in which are formed coin receiving slots 48 opening into the under side of the web and through which coins may pass down through the open portion of the web 25 onto an inclined wall portion 49 of the mounting plate I5 (lower part of Fig. 3) for movement into some form of coin receptacle.

Mounted on the shaft 21 above the driving member or gear 44 (Fig. 3), is a coin driven coupling means including a coupling block 50 which is of substantially annular shape and floats on the shaft 21, but is secured for rotation with the driving or gear member 44 by means such as the screws 5I. The coupling block is preferably in the form of a casting having on its uppermost or end surface a cam formation 52 (Figs. 5 and 8) provided with three equally spaced cam tracks 53 separated by similarly spaced coin receiving openings 54 extended in a radial sense so as to register with the coin slots 48 in the gear memj bel' 44.

iupper portion of a semicircular channel cover plate 6I. The ledge yoke 59 is in the form of a substantially semicircular metal plate having a large portion of its central area cut away so as to form a somewhat U-shaped yoke, the free end portions 59', 59"-of which iit into a deep peripheral groove 6I' cut into the coupling block below the detent track 5B.

The tripping dog 51 has an offset handle p0rtion 62 and a spring 63 normally urging the nose 3 portion 51 into the detent track below the coin slot 54, the nose portion having a coin receiving notch 63 with a slanted or camming slide portion 64, such that when a coin is deposited in the positioned coin slot 54 and the coin moved by .means hereinafter to be described, against the portion 64, the dog will be pivoted in ananticlockwise direction (Fig. 5) to dispose the nose portion 51 thereof out of the path of the correspondingpstopping pin 65, one of each of which,

'extendsdownwardly adjacent the slots 54 and across the detent track 56. These pins 65 bear against the nose portion 51 of the dog or detent when the latter is in normal position, seen in- Fig. 5, sc as to stop the coupling block and driving means in a proper position. By manipulating the handle portion 52, the dog may be pivoted to withdraw the nose portion 51 thereof from the path of the stopping pins 65 so that the coupling block and gear may be freely ro-l' tated.

Keyed to the shaft 21 at its upper end, as by the shoulder means 6B (Fig. 3) is a lug or coupling plate 61 (Figs. 5 and 8) substantially in the form of. a `vsemicircular disc having an upstanding coin blocking lug (53 positioned above the lug track 55, and a depending coin coupling lug 69 spaced circumferentially away from the upstanding lug and projecting down into the track55 so as to sweep across the coin slots 54 when the shaft 21 is rotated. The diametrically extending edge 6g of the lug plate adjoining lug 59 is alignable with the pockets 54 (dotted lines Fig. 5) as part of the alignable coin receiving` vformations on the actuating and driven members 61-52.

It Will be recalled that the shaft 21 is oscillated by manipulation `of the handle 22, and therefore the lug plate 61 is also oscillated When the handle 22 is in normal position, as seen in Figs. and 8, the upstanding or blocking lug E8 on the lug plate is positioned directly below the coin guide slot i9 (Figs. 1 and 3) so that ordinarily a coin discharged from the testing device I1 would rest on the upper edge of the upstanding lug '58 until the handle 22 were turned to the left.

When a coin is lodged on the upstanding lug G8 as aforesaid and the handle 22 is turned to the left, the coin will drop down slightly and rest at the level of plate E1. If an attempt is made to restore the handle 22 without moving the same a certain distance to the left (toits limit in this arrangement), the vertical side edgeof lug 58 Will engage the coin and prevent movement of the handle back to initial position. The purpose of this is to prevent another actuation of the testing mechanism 83-81, hereinafter described, so that coins will not become jammed or customers deprived of their coins Without receiving merchandise.

If lthe handle 22 is moved the required amountl to the left from initial position, the lug 69 Willbe moved (to the left) past the pocket 54 opposite the detent until edge 69' is alignedproperly with thispocket (dotted lines, Fig. 5) so that the coin may drop into the pocket 54 for engagement by the side edge of lug 5S when the latter is turned back in restoring handle 22- to initial position, and hence couple the lug plate 61 and the shaft 21 with the driven coupling block 52 by virtue of the fact that the coin rests in a slot in the block 52,

the coin being supported on a ledge provided byv theinner peripheral portions of the yoke 59 as depicted by the lowermost dotted line in Fig. 3,

- and the dog or detent 51 being pivoted into in Attention is called to the .fact that when the.

coupling block .52 rotates vas aforesaid so as to pos.

tion the next succeeding Ystop pin 65 for stopping engagement with the dog, the aforementioned coin will rest very close to the end portion 53'. yof

clockwise movement of the coupling head 52wi1l carry the previously deposited coin beyond theL edge portion 59" of the ledge yoke, so that the coin will drop vdown through the corresponding coin slot 48 inthe gear. @4 (Fig. 6), down through the open cut-away portion of the web 25 (Fig. 4) for discharge by the inclined wall portion 49 (Fig. 3)

and movement into some form of receptacle.V

Should a .coin remain in a slot 54 after passing the ledge end 59, and be carriedaround opposite the other (left) yoke end 59', it `will be jarred out of the slot by a depending pin E8 on the under.

side of the upstanding coin lug 68 Vwhen thelatter subsequently reaches the dottedline position seen in Fig. 5 on the rst half of the .operating stroke ofA handle 22.

By the foregoing arrangement, the operating control 22 may be oscillated tok effect similar movement of the coupling lug BS onlug plate 61 which, in turn, as a result of being coupled or'A keyed by a coin to the coupling head 52, effects a step by step unidirectional or rotational move-.

ment of the driving member or gear @d to actuate the, dispensing means through the gear element E5.

The type of coin testing device l1 referredto in the aforementioned patent includes avertically reciprocable actuating member 1li (Fig. 1) which mustbe operated each time a coin is tested; and to effect actuation of this member, as Well as a scavenging mechanism hereinafter` described,

there is provided atesting cam 1|v (Figs, 2 and) keyed to the shaft-21-by a shoulder 12 (Fig. 3) and a stud 13 secured to the lower end of the shaft 21 by a screw having ka head portion 1d freely rotatable'in ya cross bracket 15 extended between bosses 15 on the plate I5. Thus, when rthe shaft 21 is oscillated, the cam plate 1l is similarly moved. l

The arcuate edge portion of the cam plate is turned down and graduated to provide a cam edge- 11 adapted to ride over a roller 18 on anoilset testing arm 19 pivotally mountedon one of .the bosses 15 as at 80 and having pin and slotfguiding means 8 l` on the other boss 16.

Pivotally connected with the arm 'iSas at 82';

(Fig. 2) is a testing link 83 having pin and slot guiding means 8f3 on a boss 85 near its upper end, from which end projects an offset arm 86 coupledl by pin means 81 with the testY actuatingmember 10.

The offset portion 85 has a projecting "arm (Figs. 1 and 3) which extends through theslottedV lower end portion of a scavenger operating lever 39, and to the end portion of which is connected the lower end of a spring Sli connected at its upper end to a lug 3l on a movable scavenger plate 92 pivotally mounted on a pin 93 extending from the side of the testing device i1. The spring serves the double purpose offpivoting the scavenger plate 92 in a clockwise directionto,

maintain the same in closed position, and atfthe` same time raises the test operating arm 19,5- g Thus, when the handle 22 'isoscillated the-camgi-V 1|.1ikewise is oscillated (Figs. land 2') to engage the rollerj and pivot thei armj19 downwardly.:

thus moving the test actuating arm 10, as well as the scavenger operating lever 89, downwardly so that a coin theretofore deposited into the testing device I1 will be tested and directed either into the acceptance guide opening |9 or the reject opening 20.

The scavenging mechanism includes, in addition to the movable member 92 (Fig. 1) a stationary plate 94 secured to the testing device l1 opposite the movable member 92, the latter having a lower offset edge portion 95 which bears against the stationary plate and provides a downwardly pitched coin receiving pocket feeding into the coin receiving opening I8 in the side of the testing device. The upper edge portion of the stationary plate is offset to provide a guiding lip 96 cooperable with a similarly offset portion in the movable element 92 and both positioned below a coin deposit slot I3 overlying the scavenger pocket in the dotted line representation of the cover plate -91 in Fig. 3.

The upper end portion of the scavenger operating lever 89 is pivotally attached as at 98 (Fig. l) to an ear on the scavenger element 92 such that when the testing arm 19 is cammed downwardly as aforesaid, the lever 89 will also be moved downwardly to pivot the scavenger 92 in an anticlockwise direction about the pin 93, thus moving the oiset ledge portion 95 away from the stationary plate and opening up the coin receiving pocket so that bent, fraudulent, and otherwise unacceptable coin elements lodged therein will be permitted to gravitate therefrom, with the aid of a tilted wing 99, down into reject opening 20 which leads through a reject opening in the cover plate 91 (not shown).

The invention further provides a counting control broadly similar to that shown in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No 164,661. In the present embodiment, there is provided a counting disc provided with a plurality of peripheral teeth corresponding in number to the number of articles to be dispensed by the controlled vending machine. As seen in Fig. 3, the disc |00 is mounted for rotation on a stud shaft |0| secured within a recessed boss l5 formed on the mounting plate l5, there being a spring |02 embracing the stud shaft and anchored at one end by pin means |03 within the recessed boss so as to urge the counting disc in an anticlockwise direction (Fig. l)

Means for driving the counting disc includes a spring-urged counting arm |04 mounted on the stud shaft |0| concentrically with the disc and having an offset arm |05 on the end portion of which is a spring-urged pawl |06 engageable with the teeth of the disc to rotate the latter in steps, one tooth at a time for each oscillation of the arm |04, there being a stopping dog |01 pivotally mounted by a pin |08 on the mounting member I5 and urged by an extended end portion |09 of a spring ||0 on a mounting pin pivotally mounting the pawl |06 on the arm |05.

A cut-off or latch arm ||2 is provided with an elongated slot 3 slidably supporting the arm on the pin |08 and other aligned pins |4, and this latch arm ||2 is provided near its lower end with an offset lug or arm ||5 disposed to be engaged by a laterally extending pin ||6 on the disc |00 such that when the latter is urged by the spring |02 in an anticlockwise direction, the

latch arm ||2 will be raised for purposes hereinafter to be explained.

The stepping arm |04 for the counting mechanism is pivoted by a novel arrangement including a cam .'rollerflldepending from an offset lower end portion |9 thereof so as to bear against the cam track 53 formed on the coupling block 52. Thus, each time the handle 22 is oscillated to advance the coupling block and driving gear a complete step corresponding to the distance between any two of the stopping pins (Fig. 5), the arm |04 will be pivoted in an anticlockwise direction to movethe lcounting disc |00.

In order to prevent deposit of coins in the apparatus when the supply of vendible articles is exhausted, a special cut-off or blocking mechanism is provided in the form of a blocking plate |20 (Fig. 1) slotted for sliding movement on spaced pins |2| seated in the bosses |6, joined by a cross web I6', and extending from the mounting plate l5 (Fig. 3). The blocking plate has a handle extension |22 disposed between a pair of spa-ced pins |23 on the mounting plate to guide the same, there being a latching notch |24 positioned above the upper end portion I1 of the latch arm I I2. Depending from the handle extension |22 of the blocking plate is a reset arm |25 positioned so as to engage the pawl and dog |06 and |01 to pivot the same into ineective position when the plate is moved toward the right (Fig. l) by manually engaging the handle extension |22 and urging the plate against the tension of its spring 26, connected to the depending portion |25 at one end and anchored to suitable stationary means at its opposite end.

The counting disc |00 is normally urged by its spring |02 into an extreme position when the vending magazine is loaded with articles, the number of which it will be recalled ordinarily corresponds to the number of teeth on the lcounting disc. In this condition the pin I6 on the disc engages the lug ||5 on the latch arm ||2 and urges the latter upwardly in such manner that when the blocking plate |20 is moved into set position toward the right, the notch portion |24 therein will slip over the end portion ||1 of the latch arm to hold the blocking plate in retracted position against the tension of its spring |26. There is provided a blocking arm |21 extending from the plate |20 so as to overlie the upper opening or lip portions 96 of the scavenger pocket, when the plate is urged by its spring |26 into released position so that the passage of `coins from the deposit opening I8 into the scavenger pocket, and hence into the testing device, will be blocked. However, when the blocking plate |20 is latchedin retracted position by the arm |I2 as aforesaid, the blocking extension |21 is moved out of blocking relation to the coin pocket.

When a predetermined number of articles have been vended, the disc |00 will have been stepped a corresponding number of times so as to dispose the pin ||6 thereon in bearing engagement against the arm ||5 to depress the latch arm ||2 and withdraw the upper end portion ||1 thereof from the notch |24 in the blocking plate so that the latter will be snapped by its spring |25` into blocking position with the blocking arm |21 overlying the entrance to the scavenger pocket. By means of this arrangement, coins cannot be deposited in the machine when the supply of articles is exhausted.

While the automatic cut-oli or counting means including the blockin'gplate, described herein, is broadly analogous to the similar mechanism shown in my aforesaid application, Serial No. 164,661, it differs from the latter in structural details particularly with reference to the latching means, the dog structure and releasing means and the cam stepping arrangement.

Operation In the operation of the device the operating handle 22 is normally in the position shown in the Figs. l1, and 8. The patron deposits a coin in the device I1 'and thereupon turns the handle 22 to the left into the position shown 4in Fig. K5, and prior to this time the coin will have remained in the testing unit, but as soon. as the handle 22 is shifted slightly to the left the mechanism of Fig. `2 is actuated to operate the tester, and the coin, if acceptable, drops down onto plate 61 until the handle is moved all the way to the left when the coin drops into the slot 54 since plate 61 has been turned so as to bring -lug portion 69 in proper alignment with slot 54 (Fig. 9A) so that the coin then rests on the ledge 6| (Fig. 3). The patron then turns the lever 22 back to its full line position of Fig. 45 or S and the lug 69 bears against the side of the coin in slot 5A and therefore turns the inember 50 and gear M correspondingly until the pocket or slot 54 reaches the position near the end of the yoke ledge 59 (Fig. 9A).

The coin will rest in the latter position until the next operation of the device and when the next coin is moved toward `the ledge 59 of the ledge yoke the previously deposited coin will be moved off the ledge by member El! and dropped downwardly into the collection box (Fig. 9B) If for any reason the coin should fail to be dislodged from the slot 5'4 after leaving the end of the ledge yoke and be carried around to the position adjacent the pin B5', then the pin 68 on the bottom of the lug 68 would strike such Acoin when lever 22 is initially moved'into the dotted line position. If a succession of coins should be deposited from the testing means for any reason, or if an attempt should be made to move the lever 22 only part Way to cause operation of the tester, the blocking lug G8 will either underlie any coin that happens to be discharged from the tester and prevent such coin from entering the slot 54 except by proper full stroke manipulation of the operating lever, or the vertical `edge -of the blocking lug 68 will engage the side of such coin if an attempt is made to move iever 22 and the blocking lug $8 toward the left a short distance and :subsequently restore the operating lever toward the right, this latter `movement being stopped by lug S8, since the coin will not have 'been able to gravitate entirely free of the slot I9. Each of the dropout slots t8 in gear 44 is positioned in succession to underly the discharge station near the portion 59" of the ledge yoke so that the dislodged coin will ordinarily drop into the collection receptacle as aforesaid.

The preferred embodiment of the invention set forth herein has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the objects of the invention may be accomplished by other forms and arrangements of the specific means set forth, so that the invention is not to be limited to any precise details of form, location, or function except as may be exclusively provided hereinafter in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Coin-controlled I, apparatus including an oscillable control, shaft means oscillated by said control, a driven element floating on said shaft means for rotation thereon independently of oscillable movementl thereof, and mechanism utilizing a coin to couple said driven element with said shaft means and control so that said driven element will be rotated in steps by oscillation of the control, said mechanism including a coupling head on said shaft means andoperatively connected with said driven element for free rotation therewith, means providing a vcoin receptacle in said coupling head, coin engaging means freely movable by said shaft relative to said coupling head when there is no coin in said receptacle and engageable with a coin in said receptacle to urge the latter and said coupling head and effect rotation of the same and said driven element, together with means for effecting removal of a coin from said element when the coupling head has been moved as aforesaid a predetermined distance away from an initial position. Y

2. Coin-controlled apparatus including an Voscillable control, shaft means oscillated thereby, a driven `element freely rotatable on said shaft means, mechanism for coupling said driven 'element and control by means of a coin, said mechanism including a coupling element movable With said driven element and means therein providing a plurality of open-bottomed coin receptacles for disposing coins in planes radial to the axis of rotation of said shaft means, coin engaging means oscillable by said shaft means in a path transverse to said planes for engagement with a coin in one of said receptacles whereby the movement of said shaft means in a particular direction will effect movement of said coupling element and said driven element, stationary ledge means positioned to close the open portion of said receptacles during a portion of their translation by movement of said coupling member, a coin being discharged automatically from a receptacle in which it has been lodged by movement of said receptacle beyond said ledge means.

3. Coin operated mechanism including a manually oscillable control and shaft means oscillable thereby, a driven element mounted for free rotation on said shaft means and including coin receiving and positioning means rotatable therewith, said coin receiving and positioning means including a plurality of coin receptacles arranged to position coins in vplanesradial to lsaid shaft means, radially extended coin engaging means oscillable by said shaft means and movable-in a direction against a coin positioned in a receptacle as aforesaid to bear against `said coin and move said receiving and positioning means and said driven element, detent means cooperable with said receiving and positioning means for preventing retrograde movement of the same, means for directing a deposited coin into a particular one of said coin receptacles, said coin engaging means being constructed to be engaged by a coin deposited as aforesaid to prevent said coin from completely entering said receptacle during movement of said shaft means a certain distance in one particular direction of oscillable movement, said coin engaging means being positioned by movement in said particular direction at one side of said particular receptacle i and being operable when so positioned to permit oppositely to said particular direction will cause said coin engaging means to bear against said com and move the same and said coin receiving and positioning means, together with said driven element, in eiective operation, together with means for effecting discharge of coins from said receptacles when each of the same reaches a predetermined position responsive to movement of the coin receiving and positioning means as aforesaid.

4. Coin-operated apparatus including a manually oscillable control and shaft means oscillable thereby, a driven element mounted for free rotation on said shaft means and including a coupling head movable therewith, a plurality of open-bottomed coin receptacles in said coupling head and adapted to position coins in planes substantially radial to said shaft means adjacent an axial end of the latter, said coupling head having a concentric groove opening into said axial end thereof and cutting transversely through said coin receptacles, a radially extensive coin engaging member mounted for oscillation with said shaft means at said axial end thereof and having a portion extending into said groove and movable by said shaft means to bear against a coin in one of said receptacles whereby to transmit said movement of the shaft means to said driven element through the agency of a coin positioned as aforesaid in said coupling head, detent means cooperable with said coupling head to permit movement of the latter only in one particular direction, said coin engaging member being movable oppositely to said particular direction for positioning at one side of a particular one of said receptacles for coupling engagement with `a coin as aforesaid when said engaging member is moved in said particular direction by said shaft means for the purpose aforesaid, said coin receptacles having openbottomed portions and stationary ledge means therebelow constructed to maintain a coin therein during a predetermined portion of the ltransit of said coin by said coupling head, coins moved beyond said predetermined portion of the transit falling through the bottom of the receptacle.

5. In a coin control having an oscillable control member and a rotatable driven element to be driven thereby, a coupling head rotatable with said driven element and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extensive and open-bottomed coin receptacles therein, a coin engaging coupling member arranged for oscillation by said control memberabout an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of said coupling head so as to move in a direction transversely across said coin receptacles for engagement with coins therein whereby said coupling head and driven element may be moved by said control member, ledge means underlying said coin receptacles during a portion of their circumferential transit, detent means normally preventing free rotative movement of said coupling head and having a cam portion positioned to be engaged by a coin in one of said receptacles in a particular position, means for directing a deposited coin for movement into a receptaclein the particular position aforesaid, said coin engaging member being constructed to prevent movement of a deposited coin completely into said particularly positioned receptacle until said coin engaging member is moved oppositely to said particular direction so as to dispose the coin engaging part thereof at one side of said receptacle, said detent means being cammed into ineffective position by said coin when said coupling head is moved in said particular direction, means providing a ledge underlying the path of movement of said particularly positioned receptacle for a predetermined portion of its transit, said ledge thereafter terminating to permit a coin to gravitate out of the receptacle upon subsequent movement of the coupling head in the manner aforesaid.

6. In a coin-controlled apparatus, a manually oscillable control member and shaft means oscillable thereby, a driven element in the form of a gear floating on said shaft means for rotation independently of the latter, together with coupling mechanism utilizing a coin for coupling said shaft means with said gear, said mechanism including a coupling head mounted for rotation with said gear and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced open-bottomed coin pockets in register with correspondingly arranged coin exit slots in said gear, said shaft means being mounted in vertical position with said coin pockets above said gear, means including a stationary ledge formation arranged in the region below said pockets and extending along an arcuate path of predetermined length and effective to maintain a coin in one of said pockets during movement of said gear and coupling mechanism a distance equivalent to the length of said path, together with coin engaging means movable with said shaft means for engagement with a coin held in the pocket as aforesaid, whereby said gear may be rotated until said coin is moved beyond said ledge means and gravitates out of said pocket through the registered slot in said gear.

JOSEPH W. SRODULSKI. 

